15 month old social development?

[JustPondering]

I have a 15 month old son who is not keen on strangers or rooms full of people. He cries hysterically every time i leave him at nursery which is 1 day a week, although staff say he is fine once I am gone. He has only one word which is 'Ta'. He cant wave yet or nod or shake his head and has little body language. He has just in the last couple of weeks started to point but not to anything to show interest, he just randomly points at things.

I take him to baby groups and I have noticed there is absolutely no interaction from him with anyone else at all, he whimpers and stiffens up if any of the staff talk to him and never ever responds to his name while there, he completely zones everybody out that is there including me.

He is a bit better at home and will respond to his name sometimes unless he is busy or playing, then he will zone me out. He is not deaf because he can hear the ice cream van out side and far a way dogs barking, and responds if i sing the theme tunes for chuggington, Mickey mouse, Thomas the tank etc, he runs to the tv and cries till i put it on or he goes and finds one of the toys that fit the tune.

Although he has had a few ear infections and he is very very accident prone, he is always falling, he has had 4 accident forms in the past week while we have been at sure start/nursery. I just don't think he has a hearing problem.

I don't know whether to ask for a referral to a peadiatrician. I have a 5 year old with a speech disorder, he has phonological language disorder.

Does this seem like normal development or is he lagging behind?

Sorry not an expert but didnt want to 'read and run'.
I'd ask for some professional advice, of course babies are all different and it may just be a phase, but you know him and if you are worried the doctors will take you seriously.

He sounds very similar to my first baby when he was that age but he was a bit more sociable - there was a toddler group we went to twice a week so he would smile at the staff but wouldn't respond to them if they asked him what he wanted to drink. When he was just over 2 he started making an effort to go and play with other kids a similar age or a bit older, and suddenly really wanted to make friends. He has always been very shy and quiet though.

He was also very accident prone and had 2 big cuts to his head around this age from falling onto things. He was also late to shake/nod his head.

Does he have any similar age friends or relatives he has a closer relationship with? Can the nursery staff tell you what he's like interacting with other babies his age at nursery, compared to other babies his age? Does he like music? My 18month old has very few words but will hum and sing familiar tunes a lot.

I would speak to a HV if you're very concerned.

Hi, thanks for responding. He likes tv theme tunes and the tune on his ride on car but he doesn't hum or sing but he sways side to side to the music and looks at me knowingly if i sing the tunes. He has 2 cousins age 21 months and 12 months and very occasionally he will smile with the older 1. He doesn't laugh yet unless he is being tickled but he has a joyful expression when I chase him or when i tell him no!

I also have 2 other Ds's whom he smiles at but doesn't play with. If i try to play with him he gets mad. He only plays with cars, trains and crafty type things.

Nursery know that he is not partiularly responsive as it his his nursery staff that run the toddler groups. They are going to take a look at his receptive language. He understands 'where's Thomas?' 'Where is the dog?' 'I'm going to come and catch you' 'drink' and 'No' but little else yet. When I drop him of at nursery the staff all say hello to him and wave as we walk through to his room but there is absolutely no response at all, he just acts as if they are not there

Yes i think being accident prone is not uncommon in his age group but he seriously falls over at least a dozen times a day over his own feet and he has been walking confidently since 10 months.

I might go to see the GP at least for an hearing test, seeing as he has had some ear infections.

Any advice on encouraging new words extremely welcome

I think he would benefit from a referral to a paediatrician to be honest. it may be he is developing at his own sweet pace and will be sociable in is own time, but a few of the things you have said do raise red flags for a social communication delay/autism.
Does he have any shared attention? (eg will he look at something, then look at you to engage you and look back at the object) or is he focused on his own interests?

I'm not trying to worry you honest (sorry) but he does sound very like my own DS2 who has autism (and is totally gorgeous with it!)

my 18month old is my 3rd ds and he is much more sociable due to having 2 older brothers and a lot of stimulation, I do generalise a lot based on my 3 but mine have got more and more sociable with each new addition.
I have been to a few baby sensory type classes and the teacher said to copy the baby's attempt at a word then add another word. At the moment if we know what he's trying to say then we just repeat that word a few times. Try and get eye contact and point to encourage body language as well.

My ds2 was and still is very accident prone, I used to joke he needed a crash helmet!

This is absolutely not a criticism but one day a week at nursery is not very much for a 15 month old to remember and relax into nursery. One of mine only did 2 days (together) and I think they struggled to remember what went on from week to week and it compounded their already shy nature. So I probably wouldn't base things on that.

How is he with other friendly adults? Grandparents etc?

He doesn't like it if adults apart from me or one of his aunties talk to him, he doesn't have any living grandparents.

Yes he probably hasn't settled in at nursery due to him only going one day a week but the baby groups are at the nursery too with the same staff so he is at nursery on tuesday, and baby groups on wednesday and friday.

He does have some joint attention, when the thomas theme tune comes on he will look at me with a smile and make sure i have noticed. He doesn't look at me when he is playing much though.

He has good eye contact at home if he isn't busy, but only from afar if i sit next to him he wont make eye contact he avoids it at all costs. When Thomas is on he will look at me so i say all the names of the characters when they come on for him.

He does babble, and has his own words that don't mean anything, his current word is 'Dunga' just repeats that word all day. He did have more words when younger, he could say 'hiya' oh no' 'whats that' 'thankyou' and brother' but he doesnt use them anymore or repeat them.

I think I will go to the doctors and ask about an hearing test. My GP did mention last time we were there that he should be waving by now.